When was the last time you went all-inclusive (AI)? In certain scenarios – when you want to read by the pool, relax in the sun or stick to a budget, for example – they can be handy. But the gloss of having everything thrown in has dulled over recent decades, with many AI stalwarts now seen as shabby, up-selling or limiting for the reasonably curious traveller.
In response, hotel brands haven’t thrown out the AI concept – they’ve decided to up their game. Enter a new generation of “more inclusives”, “cool inclusives” and “infinite lifestyle” rates, adding luxe facilities, complimentary activities and even dinners and drives out around the destination to the timeworn concept of three buffet meals and unlimited drinks.
Ikos Resorts is one of the most visible companies shaking up the traditional all-inc concept. Its Ikos Olivia hotel in Halkidiki wowed the luxe family travel crowd when it opened in 2015 with its lavish, tasteful interiors and swankier than the usual, a la carte restaurants. Now with six resorts across Greece and Spain, it has its AI formula down to a fine art: one upfront rate with the same perks for all guests; a la carte restaurants with menus designed by Michelin-starred chefs; 30 minutes of complimentary childcare; 24-hour room service; complimentary museum tickets; multiple swimming pools; and hundreds of sommelier-selected wines in the hotel cellar. Guests even get access to a glossy, Ikos-branded Mini to drive around for one day of their stay. (The newest outpost, Ikos Andalusia, will soon have 50 Teslas delivered for lower-impact exploration of the region.)
At the start we really struggled to even use the words ‘all inclusive’, because the connotations can be negative
Lee Barker, Ikos Resorts
One of its most-hyped features is the “dine out” option, where guests can go for dinners at a partner restaurant, such as a traditional Greek taverna elsewhere on the island, with the meal included in their rate. This is a new approach – sending people out into a destination and plugging them into the local scene, rather than keeping them on the premises as a captive, spending audience. The resort even drops them off and picks them up.
TRS Ibiza sends its Signature Level guests out for dinners around the island
(Palladium Hotels)
Another hotel brand partnering with independent restaurants is TRS, a sub-brand of the Palladium Hotel Group. This summer it launches “the Signature Level”, which gives guests in certain…
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